


Reasons

by aquileaofthelonelymountain



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Bylaude, Claudeleth, Claudeth, Dinner Date, F!Byleth, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Nagamas 2019, Post-Time Skip, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-28
Updated: 2019-12-28
Packaged: 2021-02-24 22:33:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,163
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22005529
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aquileaofthelonelymountain/pseuds/aquileaofthelonelymountain
Summary: “Hey, Teach … Now that we’ve got a little time for ourselves, would you like to join me for dinner?”“Sure. Do they serve something special in the dining hall today?”“No. I mean, maybe. I don’t know what’s on the menu, I haven’t been to the dining hall yet. But I, ahem, I was talking about something else. Would you ... like to join me for dinner in town?"Claude invites Byleth to dinner into town, but she's got the impression that there's more to his invitation ...
Relationships: My Unit | Byleth/Claude von Riegan
Comments: 9
Kudos: 164
Collections: Nagamas Gifts





	Reasons

**Author's Note:**

  * For [doylesmom](https://archiveofourown.org/users/doylesmom/gifts).



> Happy holidays @doylesmom!
> 
> I'm your Secret Santa from this year's Nagamas, and I hope you will enjoy this little fic with some Claude x Byleth fluff ;)

„Aaand … done!“

Claude signed the parchment with a flourish. Then he picked it up at the edge and waved it in front of Byleth’s face. “Do you know what this is, my friend?” he asked, his grin growing broader.

Byleth squinted at the neat lines. They had been trapped in the Cardinal’s Room with heaps and heaps of reports since the early morning; her eyes clearly needed a break. “The smith’s bill for our last order?” She wasn’t sure why Claude was so excited about it; the sum was rather worrying.

“This”, he declared with no small amount of delight, “is the last report of what we thought to be a never-ending story. There are no more reports. We’re done.”

It took her some moments to understand. “Done?” she echoed. “I thought we’d never see the end of it!” Claude’s and her days were always busy, beginning with the rise of the sun and only ending long after it had set. She would never have dreamed of spare time, not between war meetings and training and those forsaken reports. But it was true: The heap of papers that had towered on the table was gone. There was not a single one left.

Byleth broke into a smile. “That means we’ve got the whole afternoon for ourselves!”

“We definitely earned it. Well, you more than I.” Claude winked at her, but then his expression turned more serious. He was still smiling, but Byleth knew him well enough to notice the slight change in his eyes.

“Hey, Teach … Now that we’ve got a little time for ourselves, would you like to join me for dinner?”

“Sure. Do they serve something special in the dining hall today?”

“No. I mean, maybe. I don’t know what’s on the menu, I haven’t been to the dining hall yet. But I, ahem, I was talking about something else.”

Byleth watched him quietly. It didn’t happen often that Claude got a knot in his silver tongue. She wondered what he intended to tell her, what had put him into such a state. She didn’t have to wait long until he had pulled himself together, though.

“Would you like to join me for dinner in town? I know a nice place, and I’d like to invite you. That is, if you aren’t fed up with me after we’ve been stuck in here together for so long already.”

Byleth felt her cheeks warm. “That sounds lovely. I’m looking forward to it.”

Claude returned her smile, but she got the feeling that he was hiding something, that there was more to this invitation. Another tingle of excitement ran through her body. With Claude, one had always to be in for a surprise.

“Will you pick me up at my room?”

“Of course. I’ll see you, my friend.”

***

Claude knocked at Byleth’s door and took a step back.

He felt the need to reach up and straighten his cravat – which was pointless since he didn’t wear his formal attire – and to run a hand through his hair – which was embarrassing since he wasn’t an insecure teenager anymore, but the leader of the Leicester Alliance.

But, to be honest, his heart had never skipped a beat at the prospect of opening the door and seeing the members of the Round Table Conference on the other side. His heart skipped a beat, though, when the door opened and he saw Byleth on the other side. Moreover, his eyes widened, and his mouth fell open.

“Hello, Claude”, she greeted him with a shy smile. “I guess I look a bit strange …”

_Strange_ wasn’t the word for it, definitely not. Claude could think of many better ones. _Lovely_. _Enthralling_. _Breath-taking_. Byleth was dressed in black, but not in her usual attire. Her shirt was long-sleeved, but left her shoulders bare. The long, floaty skirt was glittering with golden stars, sewn onto the fabric. She even wore a delicate necklace – another golden star –, and equally delicate-looking sandals.

“Hilda took me on a shopping trip a while ago”, Byleth added as the silence and Claude’s staring continued. “She chose these clothes for me, but I didn’t have the opportunity to wear them yet.”

Finally, finally Claude’s brain reminded him that he should say something. “They suit you.” And then, in a quiet voice: “You look lovely.”

“Thank you.” She smiled. “You look very handsome as well. Although I miss the colourful pompoms.”

“Ouch, that hurt.” Claude put on a miserable face and gestured towards his own clothes: light trousers, shirt and jacket – not the usual fancy stuff, but fit for the occasion. “I hope you’ll join me despite my less than favourable outfit?”

“Don’t worry, Claude. I didn’t decide to go out with you because of your good looks alone, you know.”

“Are you trying to tell me that you’ve fallen for my striking personality instead?” He laughed, but his heart raced as if it was trying to escape his chest. The Byleth he had met five years ago wouldn’t have done something like that – looking insecure in a new outfit, blushing at a compliment, or jesting with him. In their time at the monastery, she had considerably changed, and that change had continued since the day of the Millennium Festival. And the more Byleth had opened her heart to her students, the more the walls Claude had built around himself had crumbled. There were no walls for Byleth any longer, not even a closed door or a shut window. If the yearning in his heart was clear to see for anyone who as much as glanced at him …?

Byleth didn’t reply, but gave him a wink – a wink! – and asked: “Shall we?”

Claude followed her in a daze – had he caught a wisp of perfume when Byleth had walked past him? He felt as if he had taken too deep a breath when mixing together one of his poisons. But, having grown up in a hostile environment, the old habits quickly got the better of him. He scanned their surroundings when they left the monastery, thus noticing some people who were obviously trying not to watch – at least not too openly. Amongst them was a familiar pink head. Claude shook his head, but stopped after another glance at Byleth.

_I owe you, Hilda._

They talked little on their way into town. Claude led her to the restaurant he had spoken of, a charming little place in an alley not far from the market place. Its walls were covered in ivy, and its interior was bright and inviting. Byleth was delighted when the waitress led them to a niche with an oriel window.

“Have you been here before?” she asked while studying the menu with great interest.

“No, I haven’t. But I went past it the last time I was in town, and it looked nice. I thought that you might like it.”

“I see.” Byleth gave him a look that made the hair on his neck rise, but the feeling ceased the moment the waitress appeared to take their orders. When she had left again, however, Byleth caught Claude’s gaze again and asked, not unkindly: “Now Claude, won’t you tell me your reason for inviting me?”

He laughed a pitch too highly. “Reason? I’m neither Sylvain nor Lorenz.”

“I know. That’s why I’m not asking you for your ulterior motive, but your reason.” She was perfectly serious, and his chuckle died away under her eyes.

“I really am an open book to you, I guess.” He sighed. “The truth is that I wanted to invite you as an apology.” Byleth’s brows rose in surprise, but she remained silent and waited for him to continue. “I feel terrible since we’ve been to the Round Table Conference in Derdriu. I know that we needed to convince the Lords to provide soldiers and supplies, and that they would be more willing to listen to me if I had the new head of the Church of Seiros at my side, but … I hated how presenting you to them felt. As if you were merely a tool, or a trophy of sorts. ‘Look whom I got here, it’s Rhea’s successor! And do you see the Sword of the Creator she’s wielding?’ It was disgusting, and yet I did it.”

Claude bit his lip. The first time he had seen the legendary relict in Byleth’s hands, he had immediately began scheming, wondering how he could use her power to his own advantage. He hadn’t cared about any moral aspects back then, and now he felt horrible. It was kind of ironic.

“I used you.” He had avoided looking directly into Byleth’s face, but now he even cast his eyes down and looked at the crisp white tablecloth. “I’m sorry, Byleth. Now that I’m apologizing I feel even worse. Even though I knew how I treated you, I’m afraid I might do it again – ”

“Claude.” Byleth’s voice was soft yet determined. Claude’s eyes snapped open when she spoke, just in time to see how she covered his hand with hers. He looked up, met her gaze, saw her gentle smile.

_Goddess, she’s beautiful._

“There is no need to apologize. Just like you said, those nobles needed to be convinced. I knew that.” She squeezed his hand. “Look at it from a different angle. I’m not the appointed head of the Church of Seiros who supports the leader of the Leicester Alliance. I’m Byleth, and I want to help my friend Claude. I want to be at your side and see your dreams come true.”

“I …”, Claude began, but stopped immediately. He lacked the words to describe what he was feeling in that moment: the deepest gratitude for Byleth’s help; the disbelief that this was really happening; the growing ache in his heart that was impossible to ignore.

With a gentle pull, he raised Byleth’s hand to his lips. “Thank you”, he breathed against her knuckles. His caress was lighter than any breeze, yet he could feel the tremble that ran through her. Her cheeks turned red and her eyes widened. She smiled, though, a tiny, almost insecure little thing. He swallowed. Hoarsely he added: “I’ll be forever grateful that you chose the Golden Deer all those years ago.”

Byleth’s small hand shivered beneath his lips. “It wasn’t just the Golden Deer I chose.”

Once more Claude found himself tongue-tied. Instead of answering, his body moved on its own will, leaning closer to Byleth – away from her hand, closer to her face. It was flushed, but open and smiling. He couldn’t help it, he was drawn towards it, towards bright eyes and tempting lips –

“Sorry to keep you waiting, but here’s your – oh.” The waitress had entered their little niche with quick, easy steps, but now she was obviously trying to hide her embarrassment about interrupting them while – well, while what exactly? Claude glanced at Byleth. She had watched him in turn, but looked away when their eyes met. His own heart beat treacherously fast, and he took the moments the waitress needed to arrange their plates to inhale deeply. It showed little effort, though. When he was left alone with Byleth again, the sound of his heart still filled his ears and probably the whole room.

“I was curious what dish you would choose”, he tried to start an easy conversation. “You’re so often in the dining hall, no matter what’s on the menu. It’s actually difficult to figure out your taste.”

“It’s less about the food and more about the company”, she replied, immediately blushing again. “You’re easy to read, though. It didn’t take me long to notice that you like spicy food.”

He looked at his own plate, and he also thought of the bag of exotic herbs she had gifted him a couple of days ago. “Guess I can’t deny that.”

His try bore fruit, and they fell into light-hearted chatter now, talking about favourite recipes, dinners at the monastery, and that one time they had almost set the kitchen on fire together. Claude relaxed once they had found back to the pleasant, easy mood. Although he couldn’t deny that his heart beat a tad faster whenever Byleth laughed, it was wonderful to spend time together like this – not having to worry about appearances, about every single word he uttered, or what people might read from his face. He knew that Byleth wouldn’t judge him, and that knowledge was strangely freeing … and somewhat frightening. He found himself opening up to her like he never had before, and Byleth returned this by revealing stories about her that were still unknown to him.

Their conversation drifted towards childhood memories, places they had seen or wanted to visit, celebrations they had attended, books, gossip … They talked throughout the main course and dessert, and they were still talking when their teacups had been emptied long ago and the candles in the restaurant hadn’t only been lit, but burned down as well.

Night had fallen when they finally stepped outside again. It had grown chill, and Claude took his jacket and placed it on Byleth’s shoulders. She looked quite small in it, but snuggled into it with a smile.

Quietly the strolled through the empty streets of town, heading back towards Garreg Mach. They were already close to the monastery when Byleth suddenly stopped and looked up into the sky.

“I understand”, she said in little more than a whisper, and Claude had to shuffle closer to hear her, “why you love looking up at the stars so much.”

“It’s a wonderful sight.”

Byleth looked at him, noticing very well that he hadn’t gazed up at the starry sky. She only smiled before raising her eyes again.

“Tell me, Claude, how does the night sky in Almyra look like? Does it look different from Fódlan’s?”

“It seems … vaster, somehow.” He scratched his neck. “I’m not sure if I can explain it, but if you’re out in the plains, the night sky seems to be endless … But the stars are the same, although they bear different names. Like this one.” He pointed up at a single star, brighter than the others against the velvet sky. “This one is called ‘guiding star’. It always appears in exactly the same spot, thus helping people to navigate their way. And to its right you can see the Archer – five stars that form a bow …”

Byleth had trouble to find the constellation he was pointing to, so he stepped behind her and bent down, almost resting his chin on her shoulder. Now it was easier for her to follow, and she listened eagerly to the stories he whispered into her ear while looking at the constellations he pointed out with bright eyes. She leaned back against him, nestling into his borrowed jacket as well as into his arms. Her hand found his, and their fingers stayed intertwined until they stood in front of Byleth’s room again.

They smiled at each other somewhat sheepishly, but eventually Byleth spoke.

“Thank you for inviting me, Claude. It was a wonderful evening.”

“I enjoyed it very much, too. And I … I’d like to invite you again someday.”

A spark of mischief flared up in her eyes. “Do you need to apologize again? Or do you have ulterior motives after all?”

“Seems you caught me.” He showed her a grin. “The truth is that I want to spend more time with you. Not the kind of time where we talk about scout reports and stock lists, but time like today. Just Byleth and Claude.”

The smile she showed him was brighter than the guiding star. “I’d like that very much.” Byleth took a step forward. While Claude’s mind was still trying to grasp the fact that she was very close now, she tiptoed, leaned forward, and grazed a kiss on his cheek.

It was soft, a chaste brush against his skin, and Byleth already drew back to head into her room. Before she closed the door, she turned towards him once more. “Good night, Claude.” With another beatific smile for him, she was gone.

Claude stared at the closed door, but eventually he turned around and headed for his own quarters. It was a good thing that his feet knew the way and moved without his brain having to tell them anything – it was solely concerned with the fact that Byleth had kissed him.

Now his feet stopped, leaving him frozen in the middle of the path. His hand reached up and touched his cheek. The skin seemed to prickle where she had pressed her lips against it. Her hair had tickled him, and he had caught a wisp of her perfume. Her smile –

Claude turned around. “Byleth!” he cried out, not caring that he probably woke some of the monastery’s inhabitants – if it wasn’t his voice, then the offended screech of a cat he almost stumbled over would disturb their sleep. But it didn’t matter. He had to hurry back to her.

“Byleth!” he called once more, taking all the steps that led to her quarters at the same time. He reached out to open the door, but it was flung open from the other side already, and the next thing he knew was that he held Byleth in his arms, and that she clung to him, and that both of them were where they should be.

“Byleth”, he breathed, the name muffled as he pressed his lips into her hair.

“I was hoping you’d turn around and come back to me”, she whispered against his collarbone.

“I’m a fine master tactician, am I not? It took me several minutes to process that you’ve kissed me.” He let out a breathless laugh. “Just how can you bear my foolishness?”

Byleth smiled; he felt the curve of it on his skin. “You sound like you’re apologizing”, she teased.

He placed a hand on her cheek, gently tilting her head so he could look into her eyes. “This time I’m not inviting you to dinner, though.” He bent down and pressed his lips against her cheek, mirroring the kiss she had gifted him.

Byleth’s breath hitched, and her voice was tight when she said: “That’s a poor apology, Claude. I want a proper one.”

With a smile, Claude kissed her.

His lips brushed gently against Byleth’s, and she answered it in the same tentative way. Slowly, though, they grew bolder, softly pressing against each other. Byleth’s fingers danced across his neck and through his hair. Her body was warm against his, and she tasted of their dessert at the restaurant, of chocolate and oranges and something else, a sweetness that was impossible to describe.

“Better?” he eventually breathed against her lips.

“Better. Although …” Byleth showed him a teasing smile, her eyes bright and promising in the pale moonlight. “You apologized with a three-course menu, and now you only gave me one proper kiss.”

“Trust me”, Claude replied laughingly while already pulling her close again, “that was just the appetizer.”


End file.
